I had the chance to call a practicing teacher from the Vancouver school district and talk to him about his experiences teaching. I had pre-written questions that I wanted to ask which I conducted in an interview like manor. He currently teaches Computer Tech and Science classes which he quite enjoys. Here is a short audio clip below of my interview with that teacher summarized including all the new information I learned.
- How do classes differ now with Covid-19 compared to before?
-Have to take more precautions, have students sanitize their hands when they enter the classroom
-Classes are half (2 weeks) in person, half (2 weeks) online
-Two classes per “semester,” class size of 60 students maximum
-This teacher tries to teach the harder concepts of the units in person, easier material online
-Gives the students one week of orientation, to prepare, ask questions and get routines figured out
-1 hour, 45 minute classes - How do you regulate mask use in class?
-Cant require students to wear mask in class, only required during class change in hallways
-Just sanitize hands - How do you keep a classroom in check?
-Have expectations, rules explained on first day of class
-Go through syllabus
-Use 1,2,3 warning rule
-Have mutual respect - How do you asses your students?
-Moving away from late marks
-More lenient during the pandemic
-Lots of descriptive feedback
-Constant communication
-Homework still being assigned - How do you plan your lessons
-3 units per course
-Ask colleagues for resources
-Use quizzes or review games to know if students are ready
-Stay away from lecturing, more about students learning with other resources - A time where you wish you did something different?
-When you don’t have a lesson plan written beforehand or don’t plan enough
-Differentiating learning
-Some students know more than others
-Adjusting units, work on some concepts more than others
-Write down notes when a class went well or when it didn’t? Why? - How do you take care of yourself so you don’t burn out?
-Always make sure to do prep work before classes
-Use time before class wisely
-Give yourself weekends off to have you time
-Use online platforms as much as possible
-Have the right attitude
What did I take away from this experience?
I learned that even with the entire pandemic going on, teachers are working really hard to prepare lessons for their students and get them engaged with learning. The part that worries me is that students don’t have to wear masks in the classroom but I’m glad that students are required to sanitize their hands when they walk in. As a teacher, I believe it is my duty to wear a mask in the class to set an example for the students so they follow. I learned that the best way to have your class obeying rules is to set out clear expectations on the first day of class and keep giving them reminders for the next couple weeks. Go through a syllabus with them so they clearly understand the rules and the consequences for disobeying them. The most effective way to initiate a productive learning environment is for the teacher to build a strong relationship with the students. The teacher may do this by getting to know the students and having a sense of respect for them. I learned that if you show respect to the students, the students will appreciate that and reciprocate that respect right back. I learned that the district is trying to move away from late marks since students find that discouraging since they have other things going on in their lives. The most effective type of assessment is formative which allows the student and parents to see progress along the way compared to traditionally at the end of the course with summative assessment. I learned that it is always important to lesson plan and not just go into a class empty handed thinking it’ll be fine. It is always smarter to over-plan rather than under-plan since you end up potentially wasting precious learning time. It is extremely important to reflect after lessons by noting what went well, what didn’t, and what you would do differently next time. This allows for self development ultimately improving the teaching experience for the students.